First Five Years
Tips to Help Encourage a Brand New Reader
Written by KieraP on 09/18/2012
Is your child just starting to read? Children at this stage are known as "emerging readers" and every child emerges at a different pace. Here are a few tips to help you encourage your child and keep them motivated as they transition from pre-readers to independent readers:
- Be patient. Learning to read successfully is comprised of two major skills working together: decoding and comprehension. Simply put, these skills are the ability to recognize familiar words (and sound out unfamiliar ones) and the knowledge of what those words mean. It's a process.
- Read together often. Read to your child and let your child read to you.
- Talk about what you read. Talk about new words. Explain unfamilar vocabulary and phrases.
- Make your house a print-rich environment. Have books all over- the kitchen, the bedroom, even the bathroom (well, perhaps not library books!) You can also listen to audio books while driving around town.
- Read books that your child enjoys- even if they are gross, silly, or not to your preference. The best way to help a new reader become a lifelong reader is by taping into their interests. Don't worry, they hopefully won't find bodily functions this hilarious forever....
Stories by the Pond
The children's librarians finished out their fourth year of telling stories at Tilley Pond Park on Thursday, August 9th. There were stories about dogs who swallowed various animals and bossy chickens who just wanted to read some books. The real crowd pleaser was the children's librarians' version of Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons. If you missed out on the fun the first time or you just want to relive all of the fun, check out the children's librarians in action.
Stories by the Pond from Darien Library on Vimeo.
Storytimes
Storytimes are for babies, toddlers and children up to age 6. The library offers other programs for children up to age 12. The programs are developmentally appropriate for the stated ages, though we offer a two week grace period for children on the cusp.
Registered storytimes are offered in the Fall, Winter and Spring seasons. All Summer programs are drop-in and do not require pre-registration. Younger children have offerings in the morning, Totally Preschool is in the morning and the afternoon, Bookworms is in the afternoon. Programs for older kids during the school year are held after-school, evenings and weekends. The Darien Library provides approximately 20 program a week during a registered session. Drop-in storytimes are available year-round - check the calendar of events for more information.
Parents/caregivers may register online during the specified registration period. Registered storytimes are for children whose parents are Darien residents, employed full-time in Darien, or Friends of the Darien Library who contribute annually at the $300 level. Parents will need a Library card to register.
Register: March 4 to March 18 Session runs: March 25 to May 3
Pre-walking babies and a parent/caregiver. Join us for fingerplays, songs, rhymes, and movement.
Born to ReadWalkers (up to 24 months) and a parent/caregiver. This fast-paced storytime for lively toddlers includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Side by Side2-year-olds and 3-year-olds with a parent/caregiver. This introduction to storytime features books, rhymes, and movement activities.
Totally Preschool4-year-olds and 5-year-olds. Join us for stories, act-outs, and songs.
Libros y Cuentos3-year-olds to 5-year-olds. This bilingual storytime introduces children to Spanish vocabulary, books, rhymes, and songs.
Preschool Time Mondays at 1:30 p.m.
3-year-olds to 5-year-olds. Wiggle your fingers and stomp your feet in this lively storytime. Preschoolers will enjoy read-alouds, act-outs, plus music and movement.
Sleepytime Tuesdays at 6 p.m.2-year-olds to 6-year-olds. Stories and songs await in this pajama storytime that's sure to be fun for the entire family.
Toddler Tales Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.Walkers (up to 36 months) and a parent/caregiver. This fast-paced storytime for lively toddlers includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Baby Laptime Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.Pre-walking babies and a parent/caregiver. Join us for fingerplays, songs, and bounce rhymes in this lapsit storytime.
New F5 Faves Section: Caldecott Winners!
Written by egattullo on 03/21/2012The Randolph Caldecott award is "awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children" (the American Library Association). The award is now in its 75th year and still remains the highest honor given to illustrators in the United States.
We're pleased to announce that Darien Library now has all the Caldecott Award winning books in one section - a new section of F5 Favorites!
In the previous home of F5 Concepts, you'll find all the Caldecott winning books from 1938 through the present. We can't wait to share these forever classics with you and your family!
Revisit a Classic Series
Written by egattullo on 12/16/2011
The world lost a revered author of children's literature when Russell Hoban passed away last Tueday at the age of 86. Although he wrote more than 50 books for children and was the author of several popular adult novels, here in the children's library he is best known for his Frances books. Bread and Jam for Frances remains one of the definitive books about picky eaters, and the entire series is worth revisiting for its gentle, funny look at the life of a young badger. Check out our collection of Hoban titles at the link below.
You'll Like This Picturebook
Oliver Jeffers' new book, Stuck, starts out simply and gets out of hand very quickly, with very funny and unexpected twists.
Poor Floyd's kite gets stuck in a tree behind his house. To get it out, he throws his shoe...which also gets caught in the tree. He throws his other shoe (it gets stuck), then his cat Mitch (he gets stuck), then goes to get a ladder...and hurls it into the tree (yep, it gets stuck, too). By the end of the story, a fire engine (and its firemen), a lighthouse, the house across the street, and a whale are all stuck in the tree. How does it all end? Does Floyd get everything out of the tree? You'll get a kick out of the surprise ending.
Kids with big imaginations, who like big stories and silly ideas, will love this story, and the grown-ups who read it to them will like it, too.
Early Literacy iPad Kits
If you and your children have been enjoying the Early Literacy iPad Kits along with the iPad mounted in the Children's Library, we have great news! We recently revamped our kits to include newly acquired apps for you and your children to enjoy! We've also organized the apps, old and new, into convenient folders.
Updated list of Early Literacy iPad Apps
Additional resources on digital literacy and children
Place a hold on an Early Literacy iPad Kit
For the Love of All That Is Disney
Is your child Disney-obessed? Good news! You can channel that obession into a learning
experience. You can get your child our book adapatations of popular Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast. Just type in Disney as a keyword in our catalog and you will find that we have a plethora of Disney-related books! Still not enough Disney? You can order Disney books and print Disney coloring pages from this website-- www.randomhouse.com/kids/disney/.
-Caitlin Stote
I'm A Shark by Bob Shea
Fact: Sharks are scary. They will eat you if they're hungry enough, or if you look too much like a seal. They have lots and lots of sharp, pointy teeth.
But, have you ever thought about what scares sharks?? According to I'm A Shark by Bob Shea, the title character, a very tough-guy Great White, isn't afraid of anything. Except, maybe....spiders.
But he's not scared of a big mean bear, as long as it isn't holding a creepy spider, near a creepy spider, thinking about a creepy spider, or reading a book about a creepy spider. "A big, mean, spiderless bear? Don't make me laugh!" the shark says. Yes, he's a very brave shark indeed.
Come in and check out I'm A Shark by Bob Shea.
If you like I'm A Shark and want to read more from Bob Shea, take a look here.
Can Reading Decrease Tantrums?
Can reading aloud to children limit tantrums?
According to a new study in Early Childhood Research Quarterly, it can! Researchers found that toddlers who possess a spoken vocabulary at 24 months show an increased ability to later on control their emotions and self-regulate. The rationale behind the findings is that children who have the ability to verbalize their frustrations are able to more effectively control their own behavior.
And what time-tested method have parents and caregivers used for generations to help babies and toddlers begin to develop language skills? Reading aloud! So, stop by our Children's Library and pick up some Tantrum Stoppers... ahem.... that is, books.
adorable yet super angry child photo courtesy of Flickr user christine [cbszeto]
Darien Library, 1441 Post Road, Darien, Connecticut, 06820-5419 · 203-655-1234Directions and Contact Information. Twitter: darienlibrary. AIM & Y!M: deweydarien.